Emphasizing that armed actions targeting civilians, women, and children are considered terrorism in political science, Prof. Dr. Tarhan pointed out that similar situations, regardless of whether they are organizational terrorism, affect the psychology of the people in that region and even the entire world. Tarhan emphasized that 80 percent of the Qassam Brigades fighting in Palestine consist of orphaned children, stating that people killed by terror and subjected to oppression can develop an understanding that sees weapons as the only solution. Tarhan reminded that a significant portion of children in war zones are unfortunately individuals prone to becoming terrorist candidates.
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, made evaluations regarding the psychological impact of Israel's attacks on Gaza.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan drew attention to the ongoing war with disproportionate force, explaining that Üsküdar Üniversitesi has nearly 300 Palestinian students and one academician, with one of them saying, '21 people from my family died,' and another saying, 'I call my mother, and she says, thank God, I'm alive.'
Events in Gaza Affect the Psychology of the Entire World
Emphasizing that armed actions targeting civilians, women, and children are considered terrorism in political science, Prof. Dr. Tarhan continued:
"Therefore, it doesn't matter whether it's state terrorism or any organizational terrorism. This affects the psychology of the people in that region, and the psychology of the entire world, and the world is going through a serious test. One of the largest marches in America's history was held to protest the oppression in Palestine. This actually shows that the global conscience is beginning to stir. Evils only stop if the global conscience stirs. Because internal measures are more important than external ones. What will stop the malicious feelings within a person are their conscientious guardians. The same applies to the global conscience…”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan, pointing to the importance of the Islamic world's conscience also being activated, stated that saying 'No to evil' is only possible with moral norms, and in the current world order where self-interest is the norm in the capitalist system, the most needed thing is for the global conscience to be activated.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan noted that 80 percent of the Qassam Brigades fighting in Palestine consist of orphaned children, and said, “People killed by terror, people subjected to such oppression, can develop an understanding that sees weapons as the only solution.”
Stating that paranoid individuals create potential enemies and always need enemies to satisfy their own egos, Tarhan said, “We see serious composure and serious resistance in the people of that region. It's as if we see their acceptance of the desire for martyrdom, which keeps them standing. People who think they can scare and intimidate them are experiencing disappointment. When is victory achieved? Victory is achieved when the opposing side accepts defeat, but right now the opposing side, meaning the Palestinian people, do not accept defeat. This means those fighting with fear will not achieve victory…”
The Arab World Currently Needs to Produce a Gandhi
Prof. Dr. Tarhan, explaining that Gandhi's Civil Disobedience ended the 200-year dominance of the British Empire in India, said, “The Arab world currently needs to produce a Gandhi. Truths cannot be told with war against war, or with weapons against weapons, and it has become difficult, even impossible, to achieve results.”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan, pointing to the importance of advocating for peaceful solutions and activating diplomatic channels in a period when the world yearns for peace to this extent, stated that a person with solid ideas does not need violence, and that those who persevere can achieve victory.
If Your Child Enjoys War Games…
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that children play war games on computers and kill people, continuing:
“Here they learn violence, and there is real violence there. This is an opportunity to explain to our children how bad violence is! When disturbing images of people with bloodied limbs and children are shown to children in a non-exaggerated way, one should say, ‘look, this is what war is like, this child also has a mother and father, they became orphans, they became weak, they became helpless, they became unprotected. This means war is not a good thing; you play this in games, but this is the reality.’ This is an opportunity to question a child’s feeling of enjoyment from war games.”
The Global Religion of This Era is Human Rights
Prof. Dr. Tarhan, noting that one of the most important reasons for the spread of evil in the world is remaining silent against evil, reminded of Aliya Izetbegović’s words, ‘What remained in our minds was not what our enemies did to us, but the silence of our friends.’
“The global religion of this era is human rights, children’s rights, women’s rights. We see all these rights being harmed,” said Prof. Dr. Tarhan, explaining that in an era that exalts human rights, the double standard regarding human rights seriously demonstrates the decay and hypocrisy of Western civilization, and in fact, the continuation of a colonial mindset.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, “From birth, throughout human history, from the creation of Prophet Adam, the struggle between good and evil has always continued and will continue until the Day of Judgment. Will we be among the good or the evil? We have to decide this. This also applies to our own selves. I want to give another example; during the War of Independence, Turkey also experienced similar difficult situations. The Greeks, supported by the British, landed in Izmir on May 15, 1919. At that time, there was civil disobedience carried out by spiritual guides in Anatolia; they engaged in civil resistance.”
Saying 'Don't let them watch' Prevents Children from Distinguishing Between Good and Evil
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that it is beneficial for children to partially see the realities of life, and that what is happening in the world should be shown to children without letting them watch for too long, without exaggerating, but by saying 'this is a reality.' He continued, “In such a situation, saying 'don't show your children, keep them away' prevents children from distinguishing between good and evil. It creates selfish children; we would produce individuals who only think of their own interests.”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan reminded that civilians die in every war, but this is around 10-20 percent, whereas in Gaza, civilian deaths are over 50-60 percent. He stated that there is an element of intent in the deaths of civilians and children, and in the bombing of hospitals, schools, and United Nations refugee camps, and therefore this affects humanity's global conscience.
Difficult Times Bring Out Strong People
Prof. Dr. Tarhan concluded his words as follows:
“Beyond the threat dimension of this event, when we look at it from a destiny dimension, there is also an opportunity dimension. It can enable people there to distinguish between good and evil. This is similar to how, when a mine is extracted from the ground, you put that ore into cyanide, subject it to fire, process it with chemical treatment, and the diamonds and gold come out, but so do the dross. This will lead to the emergence of good, truth, and beauty.
When we look at the history of humanity, difficult times bring out strong people, and when there are strong people, weak people start to emerge. When weak people proliferate, strong people emerge again. Therefore, if everyone takes a position in such times for the emergence of strong people, I believe humanity will go not for the worse, but for the better. It is definitely not right to be hopeless. In the system of the universe, in the rules of the creation system, the struggle between good and evil always exists. Let's look at our own position and attitude. I will say, let's set the right goals.”